


Ivy and Bean Return in Person

by NinjaEel



Category: Ivy and Bean, Magic School Bus & Magic School Bus Rides Again (Cartoons 1994-2018)
Genre: Back to School, COVID-19, Elementary School, Friendship, Gen, Learning pods, Pandemics, Second Grade, children’s books, kidlit, remote learning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:55:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27266050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NinjaEel/pseuds/NinjaEel
Summary: Ivy and Bean have been learning remotely together during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now it’s time to return to school in person, only everything has changed.
Kudos: 7





	Ivy and Bean Return in Person

**Author's Note:**

> For my daughter, who also returned to in-person learning this week.

Boing, boing, boing.

Ivy and Bean were in Bean’s yard, jumping on her trampoline.

“Zuzu is,” Bean said.

Boing.

“Dusit isn’t,” Ivy said.

Boing.

“Vanessa is,” Ivy said. She and Bean exchanged a look.

“Crummy Matt isn’t,” Bean said. She and Ivy exchanged another, much happier look.

Boing, boing, boing.

“Sophie W is,” Ivy said.

Boing.

“Sophie S isn’t,” Bean said.

Boing.

“Does that mean Sophie W becomes just Sophie?” Ivy wondered.

“Woah. That’s deep,” Bean said.

The back door slammed open. “You guys,” Nancy shouted. “Dad says PE is over!”

Ivy and Bean flopped onto their backs on the trampoline. The trampoline gave a final creak.

“Ms. Aruba-Tate isn’t,” Ivy said softly.

“Ms. Aruba-Tate isn’t,” Bean echoed.

They both stared up at the sky.

* * *

“There ought to be a rule against changing teachers in the middle of the year,” Bean complained as they stomped back to the house for Drop Everything And Read In A Google Meetup. “Why can’t someone else teach the virtual kids?”

“This isn’t Camp Flaming Arrow,” Ivy said. “We don’t get to make the rules.”

“How are we supposed to learn from a teacher with only one last name, anyway?” Bean demanded.

Nancy scowled as they walked into the kitchen. “What there ought to be a rule against,” Nancy said, “is you two getting to return in person when I don’t.”

Bean had to admit that part was pretty great. “You know what Mom says.” She mimicked their mother’s voice. “Nancy is doing fine academically. She’s so mature and self-directed. Bean, on the other hand …” Bean’s voice trailed off ominously, just like Mom’s had whenever she and Dad discussed it.

“It’s not fair!” Nancy said. “You get to be in a remote learning pod with Ivy while I’m all alone for months and months, and now you’re the one who gets to go back!”

“You left out the part where Bean gets to order new back-to-school clothes and you don’t,” Ivy said sweetly.

“Argh!” Nancy turned from them fled up the stairs to her room.

Bean shrugged. “I’m a Bean. I need a pod.”

They giggled. That joke never got old.

* * *

One week later, Ivy’s mom walked Ivy and Bean to their school’s Designated Child Dropoff Zone. Before the pandemic, Ivy and Bean had walked to school themselves, and the entire playground had been an (undesignated) child dropoff zone.

Ivy wore a mask covered with witch’s hats and potion bottles, because she was in training to be a witch. Bean wore a mask covered with bean pods, because Nancy had declared it the worst mask ever.

“Woah,” Ivy said as they neared the school. The parking lot was filled with cones and reflectors and teachers in masks directing traffic.

“Awesome,” Bean said. School had become a giant construction site. All that was missing was a runaway excavator and a huge pile of dirt to slide down.

“Now remember, no wrestling at school,” Ivy’s mom told them.

“We know,” Ivy said.

“Also no Headlock Smackdowns, no Ticklemania Tryouts, and no tying each other into giant human knots. Even though you’re in a pod together at home, at school you need to maintain social distancing.

“We _know_ ,” Ivy said.

“It’s okay,” Bean reassured Ivy’s mom. “We get that school isn’t like home. After all, we’re wearing clothes.”

“I’m going to miss learning in my underwear,” Ivy said sadly.

A sign with an arrow indicated walker dropoff was to the left. Bean stood on one blue line, and Ivy and her mom positioned themselves on another six feet away.

“Shane, come back!” Bean said dramatically as she stood on tiptoes and leaned toward them.

“What’s that noise?” Ivy said.

“Traffic.” Ivy’s mom scowled. She hated traffic.

“No, _that_ noise.” Ivy pointed up.

It was … it was an excavator. A bright yellow flying excavator.

“What in the world?” Ivy’s mom said.

“They do have a runaway excavator!” Bean said, eyes shining.

The woman driving the excavator waved at them as the machine descended toward a bus-sized parking spot. She had bright orange hair and a skirt covered in planets and dinosaur bones.

“Ivy!” she called. “And Bean! How delightful to meet you at last!”

“Are you?” Ivy’s mom pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. “Fiona Frizzle?”

“The one and only!” their teacher, Ms. Frizzle, said. “Are you two ready for a field trip?”

“I thought field trips were cancelled.” Ivy’s mom looked confused and a little bit worried.

“Yes, yes, for most classes that’s true, but I assure you, my bus has the latest hydrophonic supersonic gravitronic social distancing technology!” Ms. Frizzle said.

“Are you two sure you want to go back?” Ivy’s mom said. “I mean, we could start the pod back up again.

A lizard peered out at from the excavator’s bucket. Ivy and Bean looked at each other and grinned.

“I think we’ll be okay,” Ivy said seriously.

“Okay then.” Her mom gave her a hug. “Bean’s mother will pick you up after school.”

When Ivy and Bean turned back to Ms. Frizzle, they saw that the excavator had been replaced by a bright yellow school bus.

“Well don’t just stand there,” Ms. Frizzle said. “Time’s a wasting, as no time traveler ever said. The others are already on board. What do you think—should we visit the dinosaurs or solve global warming first?”

Ivy smiled. Bean smiled.

This was going to be awesome.

**Author's Note:**

> Ms. Frizzle plans, of course, to beam the remote kids in holographically. She and Ms. Aruba-Tate are old college friends, after all.


End file.
